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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Republicans have picked Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach’s top deputy to fill a vacant state Senate seat, making the chamber more conservative.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that Assistant Secretary of State Eric Rucker will replace Insurance Commissioner-elect Vicki Schmidt of Topeka. Rucker will serve the remaining two years of Schmidt’s four-year Senate term.

The Topeka-area district’s Republican precinct committee members voted 117-54 Friday evening for Rucker over former state Rep. Joe Patton.

Schmidt is a GOP moderate who served 14 years in the Senate and was its health committee chairwoman before being elected insurance commissioner.

Rucker is a conservative and has been Kobach’s top deputy since 2011. He previously was top deputy for former Attorney General Phill Kline, another conservative.